Gunnuhver, Geothermal spring in Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland.
Gunnuhver is a geothermal area on the Reykjanes Peninsula, in the southwest of Iceland, made up of boiling mud pools and steam vents spread across open ground. Two wooden viewing platforms allow visitors to observe the activity up close, with the higher one on the Kisilhol hill giving a broader view over the steam fields.
The site takes its name from a woman called Gunna, whose ghost was said to roam here after she died in a dispute over unpaid rent around four centuries ago. The story stuck, and the name has been used ever since.
The name Gunnuhver comes from a local legend about a woman whose restless spirit was said to haunt this spot until a priest tricked her into the boiling mud. Visitors today still hear this story told as part of the experience of standing at the edge of the pools.
A paved path leads to both viewing platforms and is easy to walk for most visitors. On windy days, steam can blow directly toward the platforms, so wearing a layer that covers skin is a good idea.
The main mud pool at Gunnuhver is the largest active mud pool in Iceland, a fact that is easy to miss when surrounded by so much steam. The heat from this area feeds into the nearby Reykjanes geothermal power plant, so the energy visible here is also the energy powering homes in the region.
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